[edit on Wikidata] A rash is a change of the human skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracked or blistered, swell, and may be painful. The causes, and therefore treatments for rashes, vary widely. Diagnosis must take into account such things as the appearance of the rash, other symptoms, what the patient may have been exposed to, occupation, and occurrence in family members. Rash can last 5 to 20 days, the diagnosis may confirm any number of conditions.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa was first reported in March 2014, and has rapidly become the deadliest occurrence of the disease since its discovery in 1976. In fact, the current epidemic has killed five times more than all other known Ebola outbreaks combined.
Graphic: As Ebola's Death Toll Rises, Remembering History's Worst Epidemics. In a long history of infectious disease outbreaks, Ebola is the latest but far from the largest. Ebola is the latest in a long list of infectious disease outbreaks that have plagued humankind. The worst become pandemics, sweeping across continents and killing as many as tens of millions of people. 1  Polio Returns to Nigeria for the First Time in Years.  The Curious Case of the Bumblebee, the Virus and the Tomato.